Dead Twin Walking
by Miranda Shadowind
Summary: AU. COMPLETE! What if something unexpected happened when the Weasley Twins were born? Something that left them separated, each not knowing the other existed? Reviews appreciated!
1. The Twin Who Lived

Dead Twin Walking  
Miranda Shadowind  
  
Author's Note: This is an alternate universe fic of sorts, but has nothing to do with the movie "Dead Man Walking" or a certain Book 1 chapter whose title was modified...  
  
Chapter 1: The Twin Who Lived  
  
"But if he's all you say, would he fly from heaven to this world again?" - Toad the Wet Sprocket, "Fly From Heaven"  
  
(St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies)  
  
"Come on, Molly, just a little more..." Arthur Weasley encouraged his wife, who was currently in labor. She could only moan and breathe heavily in response.  
  
******  
  
(Hogwarts)  
  
"Sibyll, this is indeed a surprise!" Dumbledore greeted the Divination Teacher, turning his attention away from a very old, very thick, and very large book. It was open, and on top of it lay a quill that quivered as if it had a life of its own.  
  
"Quite. I was just crystal gazing, and I saw myself joining you both here as a fellow witness to the 'event' as it were." Professor Trelawney gestured to the book, and McGonagall rolled her eyes.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, smiling. "So it will happen today. Arthur did say that they were expecting any day now.."  
  
Trelawney sat down, but soon went rigid, her eyes unfocused. "TRAGEDY WILL STRIKE THIS VERY DAY..."  
  
The other two staff members looked at her in confusion. "Sibyll?"  
  
"ALL WILL NOT BE AS IT FIRST APPEARS... THE DEAD HALF WILL LIVE, BUT BE SPIRITED AWAY... HE WILL NOT REUNITE WITH THE LIVING HALF UNTIL 11 LONG YEARS HAVE PASSED... BUT DEATH AWAITS HIM AFTER THE HALVES HAVE JOINED... THE DEAD HALF... WILL LIVE... BUT STILL DIE..."  
  
******  
  
(St. Mungo's)  
  
A piercing wail rang out as a tiny baby with flaming red hair took its first breath. "A boy Mrs. Weasley!" proclaimed the doctor.  
  
"Another boy? ...Where's his twin..?" Molly panted.  
  
"On the way, keep pushing..."  
  
******  
  
(Hogwarts)  
  
"And just what do you mean by that?" asked a shocked McGonagall.  
  
"Pardon? I must have dozed off," Trelawney replied.  
  
"But you just said-"  
  
"Minerva, look!" Dumbledore interrupted, pointing to the quill and book.  
  
The quill, now standing on end, jumped to a vacant line on the page and wrote "Weasley, Frederick" before moving to the next line and hovering. One of Trelawney's predecessors had bewitched the quill to accurately predict the names of magical newborns and write them down.  
  
******  
  
(St. Mungo's)  
  
"One more push... There!" said the doctor, catching the second infant. "Twin boys!" He cut the umbilicle cord, stood up, and gently smacked the boy on the back.  
  
After a moment or so of silence, an exhausted Molly looked from her husband, who was holding the elder twin, to the doctor, who was shaking his head. "What... what's wrong? Why doesn't he cry? Is he mute?"  
  
"Far worse than that I'm afraid.."  
  
"How...?"  
  
"He's stillborn it seems..."  
  
"No... You're lying..." The doctor brought the silent little redhead forward for her to see. He was pale, unmoving, and his eyes were closed. "It.. It can't be... Nooo!" She burst into tears, and Arthur, trembling, tried to comfort her. Sensing his parents' distress, and perhaps the loss, the twin who lived wailed.  
  
******  
  
(Hogwarts)  
  
All three staff members watched the quill intently, waiting for it to reveal the other twin's name. It suddenly twitched, then fell flat and still on top of the book.  
  
"Oh, my..." Dumbledore was at a loss for words.  
  
McGonagall slowly shook her head. "Stillborn... Arthur and Molly must be devistated..." Sibyll could only nod, whiping a tear from her eye.  
  
******  
  
(St. Mungo's)  
  
After a tearful farewell, the lost infant was given to Teresa Carroway, the nurse on duty, for burial. She and the doctor left the Weasleys alone with their newly-named son, Frederick (Fred for short).  
  
"Such a shame really... Poor thing..." Teresa muttered, heading for the morgue. Unconsciously, she rubbed a finger along the boy's back. A barely audible cough and some sputtering came from the bundle, startling her. She looked at the stirring baby, at the doorway of the maternity ward, considered, then headed down another corridor.  
  
Hundreds of miles away, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Trelawney sadly vacated the former's study. None of them saw the enchanted quill suddenly spring to life and write down another name: "Weasley, George"  
  
To be continued... 


	2. So Close, and Yet So Far...

Dead Twin Walking  
Miranda Shadowind  
  
Author's Note: Chapter 2 at last! Sorry it took so long, but I've been slowly piecing the story together as it comes to me. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 2: So Close, and Yet So Far...  
  
"Somewhere something is calling for you  
Two worlds, one family  
Trust your heart  
Let fate decide  
To guide these lives we see"  
  
-"Two Worlds, One Family" (Phil Collins)  
  
(The Burrow, 11 years later)  
  
"C'mon Fred, time to get up!" Mr. Weasley's voice called from the fourth landing hall, accompanied by rapping on the door.   
  
The only reply was a muffled groan as Fred pulled his pillow over his head, which made his father arch an eyebrow in surprise. Normally he didn't have to do this, as Fred was usually one of the first ones up, dashing down the stairs and plowing through any unsuspecting family members. But lately, the 4th oldest Weasley child had taken to sleeping in.   
  
"Are you all right in there?" Mr. Weasley asked.   
  
"Fine, fine, I'm up," Fred answered, sitting up in bed. There were no further questions, only footsteps as the hall was vacated. Only Fred knew that what he'd said was far from the truth.   
  
For the past several nights Fred had been getting rotten sleep, on account of the strange dream he'd kept having. One that seemed more and more like a memory with each reoccurrence. Even when he was awake the mere thought of it made him shiver.  
  
If it really was a memory, it had to have been from when he was very young, because what he saw was from an elevated perspective. When he looked straight up, he saw his father, a devastated expression on his face. To Fred's left, sitting up in a bed bawling, was his mother. Something horrible had happened, but what?  
  
Then the view would turn to straight ahead. There, a strange man was holding another bundle. Inside of it was a pale, red-haired baby whose eyes were shut. Who was this nameless infant whose face seemed so familiar, though he couldn't place it?  
  
He wanted to reach out and comfort his mother, ask her what on Earth was going on, but all he could do was watch, trapped, so to speak, within his younger self's body. Whatever happened next, Fred never found out because the scene was always shattered by a sudden ear-splitting wail, upon which he would wake up in a cold sweat and with a dull ache deep inside...  
  
He ran his fingers through his cropped flaming red hair and slid out of bed. As it was summer, he tried to figure out why his father had taken the liberty of waking him up, concerned or not. The calendar on the wall caught his eye, and he grinned. "Oh right, got to get my supplies at Diagon Alley today."  
  
Fred would be starting his first year at Hogwarts the following September, but robes, a wand, and other such things weren't the only "supplies" he had in mind. A prankster by nature (much to his mother's dismay), he intended to make as much mischief at school as humanly possible.   
  
It probably shouldn't have bothered him, but there always seemed to be something missing... He was either two years younger or two years older than the brothers he was situated between. There was no sibling his own age with which to share his prank ideas or just his feelings in general.   
  
What didn't help matters were his parents. Every April, when Fred's birthday rolled around, there was the usual celebration at the Burrow with the whole family; or most of it plus cards by owl post when the elder boys were at Hogwarts. But when no one else was looking, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had seemed a bit, well, saddened.   
  
Fred had caught a brief glimpse of it once and asked them about it, but they'd immediately begun acting normal and denied such behavior. They were hiding something from him, but what? And why? So many unanswered questions...  
  
But now was not the time to ponder such things. There'd be plenty of time for that later. He had to get dressed and downstairs before someone else came upstairs looking for him.  
  
Little did Fred realize that the answer to all his questions was only miles away, equally confused about his own life...  
  
*****  
  
(Elsewhere...)  
  
"George Feralis get your lazy arse out of bed this instant!" A nasty female voice yelled from the hall.  
  
"Yes Mum..." George responded in a half exasperated tone as he slowly climbed out of bed.   
  
"I don't know what's gotten into you lately but get rid of it!" she added, poking her head into the doorway. "And none of your funny business while we're getting your school supplies!"  
  
"Right." With that, she was gone. "Batty old crone..."  
  
It was mornings like these that made George wonder if she was his real mother. He'd grown up an only child, and yet he felt out of place, like he didn't belong.   
  
Come to think of it, he wasn't like the rest of the family at all. Mr. Feralis had black hair and icy blue eyes, while his wife had golden blonde hair and dark blue eyes. In great contrast, George's features included bright red hair, freckles, and green eyes. He didn't act much like them either, although that was mostly out of personal choice. They were much too serious and uncaring for his taste.  
  
But those weren't the only reasons George felt out of place at home. There was something missing in his life, although he couldn't explain it. It felt like half of his soul was gone, torn away by an unseen force. But he never expressed this to his parents. They wouldn't have understood, much less cared.   
  
Half the time the only attention they gave him at all was when he was caught making mischief of one kind or another. If they weren't griping about his antics, they were planning his future. His parents wanted him to be great, and to be in "the grand house of Slytherin" when he got to Hogwarts later that year. Both of them had been in Slytherin in their day, so it stood to reason that their son would be sorted into that house as well.   
  
"But I don't feel like a Slytherin..." George thought out loud, looking himself over in the mirror as he got dressed. Personally, he hoped to be sorted into one of the other houses. He didn't care which one, just as long as it wasn't Slytherin. But at the same time he feared that his parents would skin him alive if such a thing happened.  
  
"Better get going before they start bitching, as usual..." He stuffed a few tricks into the pockets of his robes (there was no telling who or what he'd meet down Knockturn Alley before he got his wand at Ollivanders) and headed out into the hall.  
  
******  
  
(Later)  
  
In Diagon Alley, the Weasleys were purchasing Charlie's, Percy's, and now Fred's things as well (Bill had just graduated last year). Most of them were second hand, but that was something all of them had gotten used to by now. They still had to put Ginny and Ron through school in the years to come, after all.   
  
George's shopping trip seemed normal at first. The usual stroll through Knockturn Alley, during which he would attempt to slip away and explore on his own while his parents were browsing through shops. He'd succeeded twice, but the third time he'd had to hurry back to the meeting place when they finally decided to get his school supplies.  
  
The first surprises came in Ollivanders when George chose his wand, or rather, the wand chose him. Mahogany and unicorn tail hair, 8 inches. His parents were off getting potion ingredients and a cauldron, so he was alone when Mr. Ollivander told him that that particular unicorn had given a second tail hair.  
  
"So, what of it?" George asked.  
  
"Oddly enough I just sold your wand's brother earlier today. Willow and unicorn tail hair, 10 inches," Ollivander replied. "The buyer was a boy about your age. Resembled you a lot too. Do you have a twin brother?"  
  
"Not that I know of, I'm an only child."  
  
"Curious indeed..."  
  
"I'll say..." George paid for his wand and left the shop, deep in thought. This was the first time in all his 11 years that he'd been told that he resembled anyone.   
  
His parents were nowhere in sight, so he headed for Quality Quidditch Supplies to have a look at the latest racing broom model, oblivious to the conversations around him.  
  
"Mum, I'm going to look at brooms!" Fred called.  
  
"Fred, you know they don't allow First Years to have brooms!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.  
  
"I know, but I want see what I might be riding next year if I make the house Quidditch team!"  
  
"Oh, all right..."  
  
George attempted to focus on the Cleansweep Five in the display window, but couldn't help looking at his reflection as Mr. Ollivander's words played over and over in his head. Then he thought that he hadn't gotten enough sleep and was seeing things, because suddenly he seemed to be casting not one but TWO reflections! There was one in front of him, which was normal, but also another one to his right!  
  
More confused than ever, George turned to the side and received the shock of his life. For there, mouth also agape in shock, was an 11-year-old redheaded boy that could've been his mirror image. 


	3. Blood is Thicker Than Water

Dead Twin Walking  
Miranda Shadowind  
  
Chapter 3: Blood is Thicker Than Water  
  
"You... You look just like me!" Fred and George cried in unison, pointing at each other.  
  
For a minute or so they just stared at each other in shock and confusion. Neither boy made a move, unsure of what to make of this sudden revelation.   
  
Then Mr. Ollivander's words came to George's mind again. 'The buyer was a boy about your age. Resembled you a lot too. Do you have a twin brother?' "It's like we're twin brothers, but it can't be... can it?"  
  
At the same time, Fred was suddenly reminded of his parents' strange actions on his birthdays, and of the last part of his reoccuring dream/memory. That baby... his devastated parents... and now the boy before him... There HAD to be a connection. "It could... I've always felt like there was something missing in my life..."  
  
"Me too! And I've always felt out of place at home, like I don't belong. Plus I don't look a thing like either of my 'parents.'"  
  
Fred nodded, even though he had yet to meet the rest of the Feralis clan. The Weasleys were notorious for their flaming red hair and freckles, and George had plenty of both. "There's something fishy going on here if we're twins and never knew each other."  
  
"Definitely dodgy. I'm George by the way." He refrained from giving a last name, as he now knew that it wasn't his real one.  
  
"And I'm Fred. Fred Weasley." The two shook on it, given the awkwardness of the situation.   
  
They were about to contemplate how and why they'd been separated when someone yelled, "Frederick Weasley what have you done now?! Just got your wand and already you're wrecking havoc with it!"  
  
Both twins turned around and saw a redheaded boy with glasses who was about 2 years older than they were. Fred looked indignant. Trouble was his middle name, but he wasn't about to get blamed for something he didn't do.  
  
"I am not, Percy, whatever gave you that idea?!"  
  
"I don't know HOW I don't know WHY but you've somehow managed to turn that boy into a copy of yourself!" Percy pointed at George, and the twins cracked up.  
  
"You stupid git isn't it obvious?! George here is my long-lost twin brother!" Fred clapped a hand on George's shoulder.  
  
Percy blinked, then gaped, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. "No way..." He remembered their mother being pregnant with twins 11 years ago, but only coming home with Fred. According to her and their father, the other baby had been born dead. And yet there he was standing right in front of him!   
  
Determined not to make a fool of himself, Percy regained his composure, turned his head to the side, and yelled, "Mother! Father! Come quickly! You're not going to believe this!"  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came running, Charlie, Ron, and Ginny at their heels. Molly was about to ask what was wrong when she spotted the twins. She looked at George, then at Fred, then back at George. The resemblance was undeniable. "It can't be but it is! George...?"  
  
Now it was George's turn to be surprised. "How did you know my name?"  
  
"And for that matter why didn't you ever tell me I had a twin brother?!" Fred demanded.  
  
Mrs. Weasley sighed and addressed Fred's question first. "Your father and I thought it best that you never found out because... because for all we knew George was stillborn..."  
  
"WHAT?!?!" Fred and George both exlaimed.  
  
"That's what the doctor had said. Apparently he was wrong.."  
  
"And my name?" George querried.  
  
"We'd already picked out names for the two of you beforehand. In our dispair over your 'death' it was mentioned before the nurse took you away... But what puzzles me now is why you weren't returned to us if you were still alive," Mr. Weasley explained.  
  
"That doesn't matter now, what matters now is that you've come back to us, son!" Mrs. Weasley threw her arms around George, and he returned her embrace, grinning widely. For the first time in his life, he felt whole, like he belonged.   
  
His mother was crying with happiness, and he was trying hard not to cry as well as a small Weasley family reunion broke out then and there in the middle of Diagon Alley. Never mind that people were staring at them; all rational thought was shoved aside in the swirl of introductions, cheering, and happiness. Only Percy was attempting to maintain his usual dignified manner, and failing miserably.   
  
"Unhand my son immediately!!" an older man's voice bellowed.  
  
'No... not now!' George thought, snapping to attention as Mr. and Mrs. Feralis marched over.  
  
"YOUR son?!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. "George is clearly ours!"   
  
George nodded in agreement, only to be yanked forward by his former 'mother.' "How dare you defy us when you know damn well where you belong?!"  
  
George wriggled free and backed away. "You're right, I do know where I belong, and it's with my own flesh and blood!" George gestured to the newfound family that surrounded him. "It seems you never told me that I was ADOPTED!!!"  
  
"We had no reason to! You were given to us by your Aunt Teresa because I was barren and she said you were an unwanted baby!"  
  
"UNWANTED?! He was anything BUT unwanted!" cried Mr. Weasley.  
  
"Teresa? As in Nurse Teresa Carroway of St. Mungo's Hospital?!" his wife asked, getting more angry by the second as everything fell into place. It all made sense now: George had been found to be alive and was consequently stolen and given to this nasty couple because they could have no children of their own.  
  
"The same, she's my sister!" Mrs. Feralis replied. "Why should you have all the luck?!" She motioned to the other 5 Weasley children.  
  
"Luck had nothing to do with it! With your attitude you don't deserve any children!"  
  
By this time Fred and George were attempting to make a break for it amid the confusion and anger, but Mr. Feralis spotted them. "Oh no you don't!" He whipped out his wand and quickly took aim at the fleeing pair, not caring if he hit one twin or both. He'd had enough of all this. "Avada Kedavra!"  
  
Both twins heard the booming words and turned in midrun in time to see the deadly jet of green light headed straight for them. The rest of the Weasley Family could only watch in horror as one twin - they couldn't tell which - shoved the other out of the way and took the full impact of the curse...  
  
To Be Concluded...  
  
******  
  
Author's Note: Sorry about the ending to this chapter guys, but it ain't over yet! This actually turned out different than I originally intended, but now that I look at it again this version is better, sotospeak. I've got most of the next part worked out, so expect it soon! Ja ne!  
  
"Do we expect these things to change by waking up and suddenly there they are?" - Toad the Wet Sprocket, "Whatever I Fear" 


	4. Back to the Beginning

Dead Twin Walking  
Miranda Shadowind  
  
Chapter 4: Back to the Beginning  
  
"But as our team is torn apart,  
I wish we could go,   
back to the beginning..."  
  
-"The Time Has Come" (Pokémon Soundtrack)  
  
When Fred came to, he felt something heavy lying across his back as he lay facedown on the cobblestone street. The last thing he remembered was Mr. Feralis' voice yelling the Death Curse, then a blur of red and black as he (Fred) was knocked down and out. These clues plus the relative size of the heavy thing gave Fred a good idea of what, or rather who, he was underneath. "George? George gerroff!"   
  
No response. No movement at all...  
  
"...George?" Fred was getting scared now. He managed to free himself and got into a kneeling position. The sight he beheld made his heart lurch.  
  
For there was George, lying face-up beside him; dead but with a look of determination frozen upon his face. He had selflessly sacrificed his life for his newfound identical brother...   
  
"No..." Fred's voice was shaky as he fought back tears. They had barely met, but the loss of the twin he'd just begun to know hit deep. He felt as if half of his heart had been torn away, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. "NOOOOOOO!!!!"  
  
The only other noises in the immediate area were that of the astonished crowd that had gathered; the other mourning Weasleys; and Mrs. Feralis, who was berating her husband for mindlessly killing off their "heir." Trembling with anger and despair, Fred slowly rose to his feet. Without looking back, he took off running, shoving crowd members out of his way.  
  
Undoubtedly, the Ministry would toss the Feralises in Azkaban for life, but that wouldn't bring back George. Fred wasn't abandoning his family, he just felt that he had to do something about all this on his own. The only thing was, what COULD he do?  
  
In his distress, Fred failed to pay attention to where he was going. Thus, he didn't see the elderly man he was unintentionally headed for until it was too late, and crashed into him. "S- sorry..." he apologized, helping his "victim" to his feet.  
  
"That's quite all right, young man. It appears that you are in a lot of anguish over something. Were you involved in that tragic incident that just occurred?" The man gestured toward the scene of George's death, where Ministry wizards had just arrived.  
  
"Yes.. my brother.. murdered... Tried to save me.." As Fred caught his breath, he got a better look at the man, who had the longest beard he'd ever seen and wore halfmoon spectacles and elegant purple robes. He recognized him immediately. "You.. you're Professor Dumbledore, headmaster at Hogwarts! I recognize you from my Folio Magi!"   
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed I am. And you are?"  
  
"Fred Weasley, my dad's head of the Department for Misuse of Muggle Artifacts."  
  
"Ah yes, I know your father well. Perhaps we can discuss this further somewhere more, private?" Fred nodded and allowed himself to be led into the Leaky Cauldron.   
  
They sat down in a back corner booth, and Fred slowly explained everything that had happened that day since he'd headed for Quality Quidditch Supplies earlier. The unexpected reunion with George, Mrs. Feralis' sister the baby-snatching nurse, all the way up to Fred's run-in with Dumbledore.   
  
"...I just wish there was something that I could do, Headmaster... I knew George for less than an hour but I feel half-dead... If only I could go back in time and stop that blasted Carroway woman from nicking him... Then none of this would've happened..."  
  
Dumbledore nodded sympathetically, then thought for a moment. "Perhaps there is a way..." He produced a small, sparkling hourglass dangling from a very long fine gold chain. On the bottom were several numbered wheels arranged to display a date and time. "This, Fred, is a Time-Turner, which can send the wearer back to any given point in history."  
  
Fred was amazed as he peered at the device. "And with it I can save George?"  
  
"Precisely. I will pay your fare for a ride on the Knight Bus to St. Mungo's, and from there you can travel back 11 years into the past and prevent your twin's abduction. But I must advise that once you have arrived, you make sure that you are seen by as few people as possible." Dumbledore reached into his satchel and pulled out a long, silvery piece of cloth. "This invisibility cloak was left in my care by an old friend. It will aid you in keeping yourself inconspicuous."  
  
Fred placed the cloak in his rucksack and tucked the Time-Turner beneath his shirt. "But.. how will I find you to return these when I'm done?" The endless mischief he could make with the cloak alone was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.   
  
"I think that you will not find that a problem."  
  
"All right..." They shook hands. "Thank you Headmaster... Thank you..."  
  
"You're very welcome," Dumbledore replied, a twinkle in his eyes.  
  
With that they headed outside and Dumbledore flagged the Knight Bus, which arrived in a few seconds with a deafening BANG. The doors opened, and Stan Shunpike stepped out into the street. "Where to Professor?"   
  
Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. "Fred here needs a ride to St. Mungo's Hospital."  
  
"Got to visit a sick cousin, haven't seen him in a while," Fred lied, unable to think of a better excuse.  
  
"Right then, hop aboard," Stan replied as he was paid. He climbed back onboard, shortly followed by Fred, who waved. Dumbledore waved back and mouthed "Good luck."   
  
******  
  
(Soon, on the Knight Bus)  
  
As he lay in a bed, Fred attempted to get a little rest but had trouble doing so. Part of it was Ernie Prang's not-so-perfect driving skills, and the rest was due to the whirlwind of events that had occurred within such a short period of time. "I'm coming George..." he whispered softly, gazing out a window.  
  
******  
  
(Outside of St. Mungo's)  
  
Fred waved to Ernie and Stan as he walked away from the bus, then covered his ears as it disappeared with another BANG. Casually, he stepped around to the side and pulled out the Time-Turner.   
  
"Better set it for a bit beforehand so I can get to the ward in time..." he muttered to himself. Carefully turning the little wheels, he set it for the mid-afternoon of his birthday, in the year 1978.  
  
The world around him dissolved, and he felt as if he were flying backwards very fast. A blur of colors raced passed him and his ears pounded. Just when Fred thought he couldn't take it anymore, he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus.   
  
******  
  
(April of 1978)  
  
"Phew..." Fred pulled out the invisibility cloak, donned it, and stepped out of the shadows.   
  
At first glance, the area didn't seem too different, except maybe the buildings were newer. He pointed his wand at his sneakers and whispered a silencing charm, then headed for the front door. When the doors opened to admit a young couple, he quickly followed them inside.  
  
A quick study of a map on the wall told him that the maternity ward was on the second floor. Not wanting to bother with the elevator, Fred raced up the stairs and through a few corridors, careful not to crash into anyone. That was the last thing he needed when his brother's life was at stake.   
  
Just as Fred reached the open door to the maternity ward, a familiar wail rang out. "That's me just born... " he whispered, recognizing the pitch from his dream/memory. He backed away some so he could see which way Nurse Carroway would turn once she discovered that George was in fact alive.   
  
Several minutes later, bawling and wailing came from the ward. "Almost time... C'mon..."  
  
Wand at the ready, Fred watched as the doctor and nurse came out and split off in different directions. A few feet away from his hiding place, the latter abruptly stopped as coughing and sputtering came from the tiny bundle in her arms. Teresa looked at the bundle, then back at the door from which she'd just come. "Why should they have all the luck when my sister's completely barren?! They've still got the other boy plus their first 3. For all they know this one's dead, so they won't mind if I give him away."  
  
She started to head off again when Fred stepped into her path, cloak gone and wand out. "Actually, I believe they WOULD mind!"  
  
Teresa was startled by his sudden appearance. "Who..? What..?"  
  
Grinning madly, Fred pointed his wand at the infant version of his twin and cried the waking spell he'd seen his mother use before. "Enervate!" Before Teresa could react further, a piercing wail errupted from the bundle. Fred tossed the invisibility cloak back on and ducked behind a corner to watch the fun.   
  
"My other baby's alive?! Arthur, stop her!" he heard his mother yell from inside the maternity ward.   
  
Mr. Weasley dashed into the hall looking murderous. "Just where do you think you're going with my son?!" He snatched George-the-infant away with one hand and pinned Teresa to the wall with the other.   
  
"I don't understand.. There was a boy.. How..?" Teresa babbled, completely confused.  
  
"SECURITY!"  
  
With all the confusion that followed, it was all Fred could do to keep from laughing his head off and giving himself away. "Complete and utter chaos, mayhem, and my brother restored. My work is done here..." he mused to himself, hardly noticing as he slowly faded into the timestream. 


	5. Epilogue: Mischief Managed

Dead Twin Walking  
Miranda Shadowind  
  
Epilogue: Mischief Managed  
  
"Someday out of the blue  
Maybe years from now  
Or tomorrow night  
I'll turn and I'll see you  
As if we always knew  
Someday we would live again,   
Someday soon..."   
  
~"Someday Out of the Blue" (Elton John)  
  
"Fred? FRED!!"  
  
"Huh?" Dazed, Fred looked up into the green eyes that mirrored his own. The eyes of his dearest friend, the twin brother he'd known all his life. Or had he? "You say something George?"  
  
George, who had been shaking his brother by the shoulders, let go and sat back down. "You've been out of it for the past 10 minutes! You all right?"  
  
Fred shook his head to clear it. "Fine, but I just had the weirdest dream..."  
  
George opened his mouth to ask about the "dream" when Lee Jordan leaned into the portrait hole of the Gryffindor Common Room, where the twins had been plotting alone.   
  
"You two ready? McGonagall's just left her office," he asked his fellow First Years and best friends.  
  
Matching devilish grins spread across both twins' faces. "Excellent," they said in unison, and followed Lee out.  
  
*Fin*  
  
******  
  
Final Notes: Well, that's it folks! Figured I'd leave their little escapade up to the imagination. Kudos to all who've reviewed this! It was my first attempt at HP fanfiction, but hopefully won't be my last. Til then, ja ne! 


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